NSCS Recap: Johnson on brink of 3rd title after Phoenix win

Jimmie Johnson performed just as his statistics predicted, and not far behind, so did Carl Edwards but it wasn't enough to cut into Johnson's lead. In fact, Johnson lengthened his lead.

Once he got past Jamie McMurray after the opening laps, polesitter Jimmie Johnson played his own version of “Catch Me If You Can” Sunday -- and nobody could -- in the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 and in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Though it took a green-white-checkered-flag finish to decide the race, the outcome was hardly in doubt, as Johnson dominated the race, leading 217 of 313 laps. Kurt Busch finished second, .295 seconds behind the two-time defending Cup champion.

With the victory, his seventh of the season, his third straight at Phoenix and the 40th of his career, Johnson widened his lead in the Chase to 141 points over fourth-place finisher Carl Edwards.

If Johnson finishes 36th or better in next Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he will join a club that currently has only Cale Yarborough as a member: drivers to win three straight Cup titles.

Johnson's win did clinch Chevrolet’s 32nd manufacturers’ championship.

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Of the 12 drivers who started the Chase, only Edwards has an outside chance to catch Johnson.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I wish we could have left here and all we have to do is start (at Homestead), but Carl put up a great fight. They’ve been a strong, championship-caliber team all year. But as long as something doesn’t go crazy for us down in Homestead, we’re going to tie Cale -- and I can’t wait to start celebrating.”

Edwards knows his title hopes depend on major disaster for Johnson’s team.

“He (Johnson) did a great job,” said Edwards, who finished one position behind Roush Fenway Racing teammate Jamie McMurray. “It’s still possible, just not probable. We’ll just have to go there and hope that something happens. You saw it with the 24 today.” (Johnson’s teammate Jeff Gordon blew his engine Sunday and finished 41st.)

Denny Hamlin finished fifth, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton and David Ragan.

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For the first 273 laps, Johnson easily put distance between his No. 48 Chevrolet and whatever car happened to be running second. After a restart on Lap 267, following a caution for debris in Turn 3, Johnson pulled away steadily from Kurt Busch until a massive crash in Turn 3 stopped the action on Lap 273.

The wreck left the No. 38 Ford of David Gilliland on top of the roof and hood of Scott Speed’s No. 84 Toyota, and NASCAR red-flagged the race for more than 17 minutes (The 2nd of the race) while the safety crew winched the cars apart. Gilliland and Speed were examined in the infield care center and released.

By then, Johnson already had locked up a five-point bonus for most laps led, as Edwards continued his slow, methodical climb from his 15th-place starting position.

A succession of excellent pit stops, coupled with positions gained on the racetrack, left Edwards in the fourth position for a restart on Lap 267, but he was unable to gain another spot. Though there were four more cautions and four more restarts in the final 40 laps, Johnson, who led the final 95 laps, finished the event without a serious challenge.

The end of the race was interesting as there was conflict going on all over the track.

A caution came out with 20 Laps to go. During the caution, ABC showed Tony Stewart ramming the back bumper of Greg Biffle. Elsewhere, they covered Paul Menard rubbing bumpers with Jeff Burton. There was angst everywhere near the end of this long day.

With 6 to go, it looked like to me that Kenseth was crowding A.J. Allmendinger down into the turn and 'Dinger's car got a touch loose and tapped out Kenseth. Kenseth's spin collected the already irritable Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon.

In the Green / White / Checkered dash, as the cars were coming across the line, Kenseth appeared to come down off his outside line across A.J. Allmendigner's nose sending 'Dinger spinning into the wall and collecting at least 10 other cars at the finish line.

It seemed retaliatory on Keneth's part and if that is the case, I assume we'll be seeing some discipline from NASCAR come Tuesday.

Source: NASCAR Press Release: By Reid Spencer of Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service